Is Fulltime RV Living Right For You?

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I see a lot of posts in my Facebook RV groups about going fulltime. Some are people like us who are getting ready to retire and want to see the country, some are traveling nurses or contractors who want to move around and take their house with them, and others are folks who want or need to find alternate living solutions. I worry about some of these people the most. They post about buying an RV and getting ready to move in without knowing where they will park it or where to find hookups or what hookups they even need.

We’ve owned RV’s for a long time and even though we are just preparing to fulltime ourselves, I feel like we have a lot to share about RV living. So I, like many others, patiently answer the same questions over and over. Questions like how to get the water heater working and how to watch TV. But the one question we hardly ever get is, I think, the most important one.

Should we fulltime at all?

Will this type of living be right for you? Here are some important things to consider before embarking on a fulltime life.

First and maybe the most important thing to consider is space. This may be less of a consideration if you are moving from a single room or dorm but even the largest RV is smaller than nearly every apartment.

1. Do you need your privacy? A place to get away from the kids or your partner or whoever. Consider that very few RV’s have real doors you can close and lock. Those are usually only found in higher end units. Often “rooms” are separated by curtains or sliding doors.
2. Do you need a lot of “stuff”? Collections are great when you have a place to put them, but the average 200 square feet in an RV doesn’t leave much room for knick-knacks or shoes for that matter.
3. Do you need to spread out when you cook? I’ve seen some amazing gourmet meals come out of RV kitchens but remember most of them have about two feet of counter space.
4. How tall are you? We spent a longtime touring RV’s before choosing ours. Wayne is 6’1” so we had to try out a lot of showers to find one where his head wasn’t in the skylight and the water didn’t hit him at mid-chest. (5^th wheels are much better at accommodating taller people)

Then there’s the mechanics to think about

1. Can your tow vehicle tow your rig? If you’re choosing a trailer instead of a motorhome this is an all too often overlooked consideration. Trucks/tow vehicles have weight limits on what they can safely and successfully tow. Exceeding the limit is a recipe for disaster.
2. Are you mechanically inclined at all? There are a ton of moving parts on an RV and they can be expensive to fix. From engine trouble to leaky faucets, a certain amount of mechanical inclination is necessary to avoid breaking the bank on repairs.
3. How do you feel about poop? Your sewer tank, aka the black tank, is going to need to be emptied. If the thought of dragging out a big hose and manually emptying it then back-flushing and cleaning this grosses you out, this may not be the living arrangement for you.

Where are you going to park?

1. Do you have a place to park your new RV? Many communities limit the number of days you can park on the street, even in front of your own house. Other towns allow parking an RV but not living in it or only allow staying for short periods.
2. Does the place you’re planning to park have hookups? While there is a lot to be said for getting away from it all and boondocking, that’s not always the best choice for a newbie to fulltime RV living. Having reliable water and electrical and septic hook-ups can make life a whole lot easier.
3. Planning on staying in an RV park? Have you researched the costs and if they have any openings? Popular RV parks in warm winter destinations can cost upwards of $1000 a month and book up a year or more in advance.

Also a very important consideration that is often overlooked or taken for granted.

Is the rest of the family onboard with your decision to fulltime? Sometimes we think our spouse or kids are just as excited about the adventure ahead but all too often they are just echoing your enthusiasm.

There are plenty of other things to take into consideration before choosing to live fulltime in an RV. Some may be more important to you than others. But choosing to give up your home and most of your possessions, for many people, is a one-way street. It can be a great life, but it’s not for everyone so have an exit strategy, just in case.